Royal wedding: Local hearts aflutter

Thursday

Apr 28, 2011 at 2:00 AM

While the wedding Friday of Great Britain's Prince William to Kate Middleton may seem to draw more interest from celebrity watchers than anyone else, local Brits and other royal family watchers say the event does have some deeper meaning for Americans and for the future of the monarchy.

Deborah McDermott

While the wedding Friday of Great Britain's Prince William to Kate Middleton may seem to draw more interest from celebrity watchers than anyone else, local Brits and other royal family watchers say the event does have some deeper meaning for Americans and for the future of the monarchy.

"We sort of need the English more than the English need the English," said James Krasner, an English professor at the University of New Hampshire whose interest is in American anglophilia. "We need to define ourselves against them. I think we also yearn for the aristocratic system, even though we gave it up long ago. We're kind of goofy and silly. We need the English to be classy."

While Krasner said he likely will not get up at 6 a.m. to watch the wedding, several British-born Seacoast residents said they will.

John Whiteman, former editor of the Portsmouth Herald and a native Brit, said he sees this marriage as important to the people of Britain and to the monarchy.

"If you contrast this wedding with the wedding of Queen Elizabeth, this is a very different pair. They're very hip, very with it," he said.

He is also drawn to the fact that Middleton is a commoner, which he said "is a big plus for the monarchy. In many people's minds, it will help to ensure the common touch will be represented in the royal family."

Whiteman said, while some of his family and friends on the other side of the pond have told him they think the monarchy is anachronistic, he disagrees.

"I think the monarchy is good for the country in every possible way. It provides a figurehead and a kind of stability you might not get in a republic, because they're always there; they can be counted on," he said.

Alan Brady, the city of Portsmouth's communications director, admitted with a laugh that, with his Irish Catholic mother and his Irish Protestant father, "my body should implode with my blood. That's why I live in America, so I don't have to deal with all that."

He said his brothers in England "don't make a big to-do about the wedding, but then will say, 'Well, Kate and William came to my town.' It's funny. They would love to have a cup of tea with the Queen. When things are down, they look to the Queen like we look to the flag."

Is he going to get up to watch the wedding?

"Well, I have a baby, so I guess I'll have to get up whether I want to or not."

British-born Anna Hardy Evans owns In-Home in Exeter, a home furnishings store, and she is holding a party there Friday and Saturday.

She said, in a world where everything moves at lightning speed, some stability and dependability is not to be taken lightly.

"It's nice to have something traditional, but in a modern way. I think they'll take the monarchy in a more modern route. It's fantastic for England and fantastic for them."

Donald Poland, co-owner of Columbary Antiques in York, Maine, recently acquired a collection that includes memorabilia from Queen Elizabeth's coronation. During a recent open house, many people visited the store to view the documents.

"Especially in an economic situation like we have, we all have this Cinderella mentality, fantasizing about living a royal life, without having the day-to-day stress," she said.

Poland said he believes a lot of the interest in the royal wedding has as much to do with Prince William's mother than any other factor.

"Princess Diana captured the hearts of the world," he said. "You can see that in William. He has that same subtle charm, that understated wisdom and kindness. You can see he's his mother's child."

Krasner agreed, saying that even though Princess Diana was the daughter of an earl, she was known as the commoner monarch.

"Americans wanted that story to be true, even if it wasn't, because we're all commoners," he said. "What Diana did was bring this really, really boring family into celebrity status. My hope for Prince William and Kate Middleton, and it's a legitimate hope, is that they can make up for the sins of the past, can make up for Charles and Diana."

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